Dinner with the Montgomerys
by foxwings007
Summary: Was Clash always holding Video back? Was Video always snobbish to her cousin? Or do they share some secrets between them and their past? Could they be freinds under it all... Let's take a step back to the past, to Mulberry. R&R if you like it!
1. Prologue

It was a cold, crispy December night. All was quiet in Mulberry. A young girl sat on a swinging bench, her legs curled up to her chest. Her breath hung in the air around and a single tear dripped down her cheek. A taller girl appeared; she was blonde, had a thin face, and wore dull, depressing attire. She sat on the bench and smirked t her sister.

"Enjoying the holidays now Constance?"

The young girl looked at the monster and got up, backed away, praying it was a nightmare. Michelle stood up and walked towards her. Twigs underneath the snow snapped under her weight. Constance found herself backing into a house. A house she knew, for it was her sanctuary. A house Michelle hated. A warm house. The door wasn't locked; it never was, for the owners were friendly with everyone. Constance turned from the beast and ran to the kitchen, forgetting there was no way out. The owners were asleep. Michelle picked up a little black handled knife, and pointed it at her victim. Constance had no idea if she would use it or not. She picked up the closest thing to her, which was a pan. Michelle stepped close, too close, and Constance swung the pan hard, and hit its target. The demon crumbled to its knees then lay in a heap on the floor, the knife still tightly in fist.

**Dinner with the Montgomerys**

Characters (excluding Michelle)**©** of Jem, Hasbro and Sunbow. Story and idea**© **me, Foxwings. Just a taster chapter. Hope you like it!


	2. Saved by the bell, or not

Chapter I

Constance sat in her favorite couch in the house, whimpering and shivering. A slightly older girl was hugging her, and they were both struggeling to keep their blankets on their small trembling bodies. Constance burst into a fit of tears. The older girl opened her mouth to comfort her.

"Vivian, what's going on?" called a shril voice, making its way down the stairs. Constance immideatly stopped crying and wiped her tears away sheepishly. The bigger blonde girl shut her mouth then opened it again.

"Nothing, err Connie's here, we just watched a sad video."

"Well I've no idea why you girls are up watching films at this time in the morning." Vivian's mother walked in wiping a brekfast bowl witth an already dirty cloth. "What you two like? Clash, would you like brekfast or you going home?"

"I'll stay here, but I don't feel very hungry. I'll go get dressed." Clash left the room and headed upstairs to the guest room, were there was always things belonging to her, lying around.

"I'm sure spends more time in our house than hers, such an attention seeker, wants both sides of the family to adore her. Come along Video get some food down you, and get dressed."

Later, Clash returned home with Video They went upstairs and collected some costumes, so they could make another mini-film. Video came back downstairs looking for some toys.

"Hello Video! Always nice to see yer."

"Hello Uncle Buzz" Video's voice carried ever such a slight hint of irritability.

"Watch ye up ter now? Makin' another one of dem films you girls love so much?"

"That's right uncle…erm Clash had another nightmare"

"Well my daughter works so very hard in school, I'm sure that's all it is. 'N' speaking o' which, is nearly time you left for school."

Clash trotted down the stairs.

"Bye dad!"

The two girls returned to Video's house so they could walk to school with her dad. They checked they had all their filming equipment. They couldn't go anywhere without it. Then the small party made it's way down the street. As they went past each house people smiled and waved and greeted them cheerily. Clash found herself in a particulaly good mood, having gotten over her dream, and found herself waving back to everyone. They soon arrived at Mulberry Academic Institute. It was a very run down building, and everyone in town wanted it to be closed down. The problem was that it was the only school in Mulberry, and the town didn't have enough money to fund it properly. The two girls, having about 10 or 11 months between them, were both in the same class, as there was only one class for each year. They were in 6C, and Mrs Cronan was the meanest junior teacher you could imagine. She was a fairly old woman with scarrgly hair and poorly slapped on rouge. She had a heart of stone and tounge sharper than the school's art pencils. She didn't like children, they got on her nerves, heaven knows why she bacame a teacher.

Although the school consisted of primary and senior years, the girls considered this year to be their last. They were hoping to get into a drama and film school next year. There was a perfect one in LA, but they had to first pass an iniation exam. Their parents also had to raise a lot of money, unless they earned scholarships.

The girls iniations were next week, and as this was the last week before the Christmas holidays, they were going to LA very soon. This also helped Clash to understand she would be able to escape a certain Sixth Former. Michelle had bullied Clash since Year 3, because of who she was. Clash had really long curly purple hair, and loved rock music. Although she wasn't a goth as such, she was picked on for being different, and teachers looked down on her attention seeking. For example, every year, come the Nativity play, Clash had to be Mary or the Angel. Video ussual ended up a camel, and one year ironicall, the donkey that carried Clash to the stable. But Video didn't mind being second best because Clash wanted to e an actress, and she wanted to be a cameraman (/woman) and so saw no reason why Clash couldn't get better play parts then her.

Pupils in 6C all loved Clash and Video, because they made good little films with the children in. It was the older years that didn't like them, and they were always trying to steal the valuable video cameras. Video had to be very careful, but this was the last year hopefully. Clash couldn't imagine coming back, it was her third greatest fear. Her second was Michelle, and her first suprisingly enough, was being seperated from Video. She resented the idea of getting into film school without her cousin. The girls walked into their classroom just on time.

"Your late again!" yelled their teacher. The bell rang.

"Miss we were before the bell-"

"Right! That's it! You're both on detention up intil the holidays. You can stay back an hour after school." The girls pouted. Another only-to-familiar day at the institute.

**Well hope you like the story so far, that was a sort of long winded intro, and the main story starts next chapter, with a lot more action :) R&R if you like it, your comments are always welcome.**

_ English school system. I'm afraid I don't have a clue about American schools and grades; so I've used the one I know best. I'm just going to explain it breifly, and I promise it's not meant to sound partronising. There's 2 main parts Primary and High schools (Elementary and Secondary I think). Primary as 2 sub sections -Junior and Infants. Infants goes from Reception to Year2 (that's 4-7 I think). Junior goes Year3 to Year6 (7-11). High school is Year7-11(11-16), and Sixth form, an alternate to college is 12-13(16-18). Each year usually has more than one class, and gets moved up at the end of the academic year (i.e every September, you're in the next year, you don't have to pass exams and you can't get held back a year.)_

Viv & Connie are in year 6 so their ages are either 10 or 11. I hope that clears that up :), althou probably not.


	3. Déjà Vu maybe?

Chapter II

There was a quiet clink as thrown paper hit the waste bin and knocked it over. Clash sat twisting her pen lid on her pen staring at the clock. Just a few centimetres away, Video was hard at work, and when Clash squinted she could swear there was smoke coming from the paper. The two were sat at desks placed in the centre of a very cold but small room. There was dust everywhere, and an old caretaker (janitor) sat at the front, sleeping under a very slow clock. In fact, Clash knew it didn't work, but she couldn't help looking at the clock, out of habit. They were in the assembly hall, which was also the dining and detention hall.

The late bell rang.

"Out ya go," commanded the caretaker.

"Finally!"

"C'mon Clash if you weren't throwing paper you could have got all your homework done."

"So?"

"So we could work on our show about Mulberry."

"Yeah, I guess I'll just after leave Mrs Uglyface's homework 'til tomorrow morning."

"There you girls are!" Announced Buzz loudly.

"We got a detention daddy," Clash gave him a big hug. Uncle Buzz ruffled Video's hair boisterously, messing up her ponytail.

"Remember, my house after tea." Whispered Video and she went up the steps into her home.

"What was that?"

"Nothing daddy."

"You girls are upter sumin', but if it's another film, I'll say no more."

"Say no more daddy." Clash went upstairs, and despite pretending she didn't care, she did all her homework. She was sat on the couch, when she saw 3 odd looking teenagers walking down the street. She squinted at the brightly coloured hair they had. They wore vibrant make up, and fashionable energetic clothes. Clash wished she were like them. They were arguing loudly

"We need a manager!" Screeched the green wavy haired one.

"We need a name first," Said the second girl with bright straight platinum blonde hair. The third girl had her arm around the second and was smiling and shaking her head, blue ringlets bouncing. They disappeared into the distance.

Clash went out later and bought some dye. Her mother liked keeping her hair purple, but it was a dull colour, and she wanted brighter. But when she saw the collection of bright, fluorescent and pastel colours she changed her mind. She got home and lent over the bath. She skimmed the instructions and applied the red dye on her hair. She waited for the colour to set, while reading the second box. She had bought blue highlights but she decided she wanted a bit more than a few highlights. She looked in the mirror and admired the red colour, which was particularly vibrant. She began applying blue, taking each ringlet and colouring it with aqua. She waited for the colour to set and washed her hair. She put in curlers and went to tea.

"Did you have a good day at school Clash?" asked her father.

"I guess."

"And you ate all your dinner?"

"Of course."

"And you didn't forget your lunchbox or PE kit this time?"

"Of course not dad!"

Clash frowned. Had her father not noticed her hair? She finished her food, and resisted pudding. She ran upstairs, finished drying her hair with a hairdryer and took the rollers out. Out bounced the most amazing bright perfect ringlets she had ever seen. She ran straight to Video's house and rang the bell.

"Vivian, look!" she shouted.

Video popped her head out of the upstairs window and screamed, "What the heck have you done."

Clash beamed at her cousin. Video smiled broadly and ran down to let Clash out.

"Hello Connie" greeted Video's dad. "Err, does Buzz know you've err, dyed, your hair?"

"Nope!"

"Figures" he muttered

They ran up to Video's room.

"I've got a great idea!" began Clash bouncing at alternate beats to her cousin, the bed throwing them up higher with each bounce. Clash's room was bright purple and pink. Video's was really different. It was a mix of calm pastel blue and neutral mint green. But Clash liked it, and thought those colours would make cool hair colours. "Why don't we do a video were we're rock stars!"

"Great! But we can't sing!"

"We'll mouth!"

"Ok, what do we do! I know, make props."

"Cool!" agreed Clash jumping of the bed. I wanna be a drummer.

"But you I can't be a guitarist."

"Why not? Too shy" teased Clash

"N-no" Video blushed, "Ok I'll make a cardboard bass."

"Right and I'll make a drum out of….ooh, baked bean cans."

Three hours the girls had their props. "Gosh, we haven't even filmed anything yet!"

"No worries cous, a masterpiece takes time!"

"Isn't time you went home Constance" called Video's mum.

"Ok! Listen, we'll design clothes tomorrow! Come the shops tomorrow, we'll get some threads!"

"Sure!"

The next few weeks the girls spent their time making rock video's, until they decided to take a Christmas break. Clash was in a good mood, as everyone seemed to adore her new hair, even old ladies were awed. But Video remembered that the film making school would need to be visited in the holidays. She knew they'd end up handing in the rock film, but she didn't know if their families had the money, especially with Christmas coming up…

**Hope you're enjoying the fic so far, it's very seasonal! Next time Clash and Video begin to pursue their dreams, and realise their differences….**


	4. Power Hungry

Chapter III

"Clash-"

"Ssssh!"

"But…"

"Quiet."

The two girls' whispers echoed around the hall. Video bit her lip and looked around again. Clash stood with her arms folded, slightly bored, waiting for her smirking father to approve. Next to Uncle Buzz stood Video's parents; looking around in awe. The hall was huge. Exceptionally huge. At opposing ends were two elaborate archways, each with thick matte wrinkled curtains. All around the hall were panels of expensive mahogany. Every window was placed high up, and featured a beautiful stained glass window, which forced light beams high up, and the lower room to be tinged a goldish-green. Or was it a greenish-gold? In one corner stood a plateau which featured a dozen huge opulent thrones, and a long wooden table. Oddly though, the table was bare. The other end of the room featured a crimson block – the stage. The stage looked very dense, as though it was just a concrete brick; the light around it was dense. The air Video breathed was dense, and dusty. She coughed disapprovingly.

Clash looked around. She noticed a bunch of chairs in the corner, a big table, with a block at the end. And a thick, very thick, atmosphere.

"Excuse me?"

The tall woman halfway down the hall turned in mid-drone. She raised her eyebrows. Clash found this amusing as the 'eyebrows' had been drawn on in crayon.

"Why is this hall so bare?"

"So the acoustics sound right on a camera dear." Her voice echoed, and Clash very much doubted that was the reason.

"May we come to your office?"

The woman's 'eyebrows' drooped into a dull frown and she trotted off heels clicking. Video's dad rolled his eyes and the troops followed the mistress.

* * *

They reached an even less exciting office where the parents stood nervously.

"Vivian, Constance, have a sweet." Video decided this was a command and took the mandatory bonbon. It had hair on it so she stuffed it in Clash's pocket. The two girls sat down. The room was round and had some kind of carpeting on the roof. The walls were surrounded with bookcases. The few books in these cases were all green. A strange velvet green that was neither matte nor shiny. The carpet, of course, had been matched to perfection. On the solitary item of furniture, the slab of wood with four wonky legs, were piles of paper, wrapped with velvet green ribbons. The only other objects worth noticing was the brass bowl of compulsory toffees and a bronze plaque that read "Madame Theresa Pierce 1934-1968" and below this someone had scribbled in a lazy etching "Madame Janette Pierce 1968-" and the death date was morbidly left, a wide space waiting to be filled.

"blabla bla, blab la blab lab bla"

Clash rolled her eyes finding a hairy bonbon in her pocket. She slipped it back into her cousin's and folded her arms.

"And then, there's the scholarship system…If the clip sent in is good enough these girls could be here for free. But be warned the films are analysed _so _carefully, with so many factors, they must contain original music, showing appreciation to the arts. And drama abilities, re-enacting Shakespeare, Bla Bla…"

Clash switched off again and Video slipped the bonbon back in her pocket. Both girls were thinking back to their rock video and wondering if it was appetitive to the arts and displayed Shakespearean drama, and had Prada costumes, and Hollywood scenery…

"Have you watched our clip?" asked Video embarrassed and apprehensive, her voice colliding with the droning noise.

"No. You see, I was about to explain, young…_applicants _must submit film rolls individually, and must be done in oath that you have worked on your own."

"Who holds the camera?" Intruded Clash

"Connie…" Mrs. Montgomery warily hushed her niece.

"I'm _sure_ your girls here can perform to a scholarship standard." The artistic lines arched and the eyes below came to rest on Clash's vibrant hair. Video smiled relieved to have their rock video handed back unobserved. The family units were ushered back to the pokey reception area, from there they made their own way back to Buzz's Land Rover.

"Frog-marched to our own car! Well I never, Vivian? Surely you agree that academy was a military one?"

"Yeah, sure mum."

"Now, Sarah, don't bias your daughter-" everyone rolled their eyes as Uncle Buzz began a string of long and useless points about raising a daughter, annoying enough to even send the excitable Clash into a phase of irreconcilable greyness.

"What did you think?" murmured Video quietly so the three 'adults' were left to bicker.

"In all honesty- it's hard to have an opinion on something so dull, Video"

"Oh yeah, right, 'course Clash is not the kind to sit in a big converted church hall. She prefers aqua and bubblegum hair."

"Bubblegum? There's a thought!" She started to fiddle with her rat tails. "So you cous'? You wanna go to this place, Pierce Mansion or whatever?" There was a long pause as Vivian tried to gage what could possibly cause her cousin to react positively. She decided to be bold for a change and go against her instincts.

"Yes" she said softly and dreamily. She slowly turned completely to her blood friend.

Clash's eyes slowly, lazily moved away from Vivian's. They were on different planets now. Everything was so slow. So tiring, heavy and sleepy. Outside the car windows the night sky had begun to set in. Constance's eye rested on Video.

"You're on your own." Video nodded tired. She became enveloped in the leather interiors. Soon only the sound of the bickering parents and road could be heard. Clash

"So you want me to come or what?"

"Or what?" Video paused. "It's your choice, not mine, and you can make it on your own."

Clash opened up a strip of chewing gum and threw the wrapper at Video. And slowly but unsettlingly silence fell in the vehicle.

* * *

What would await them now? Video was ready to step into the world of high school. And this academy would make her a great director or actress, or anything to do with the tele. She could here it blurring in her mind. She saw her favorite film poster's with her name credited in every role. Her hand slipped out of her pocket and grasped the foil gum wrapper.

Clash was younger. Not a lot, but still, she was. She would have to make her own way through life; harsh but true. Video could not gage how long it would take for her cousin to learn this. Clash would react either by breaking things and getting Uncle Buzz to have a good moan. Or she would come along and try and beat her cousin. They may get on but Video understood Clash's completive streak, how boisterous she could become to better another. Video eyed her cousin with one eye, who was pretending to be asleep but Video sensed she wasn't.

Clash's eyes popped open menacingly.

"Video?" And there it was – that sense of everything waking up, powerful and fast. Video braced herself, it was a reflex to that passionate sneering voice. A shrewd insult followed by a vehement argument. But it didn't come. It was so 'un-Clash'.

"Huh?" Video looked at her anticipating fretfully.

"I think we could both get scholarship together."

Video didn't for a second regard this has an attempt to compromise or a sign of sensitivity. This was a sport, or more - a war. And only one could win this time.

**_Well this took forever, but I should be uploading chapters quicker now! Hope you enjoyed happy reading, Hallowe'en, Guy Fawkes/Fireworks night etc!_**


	5. Entrée?

Chapter IV

For the next few days Video suffered from Clash's abysmal filming skills. Depressed, she regretted that she couldn't confide in her parents. Video's parents didn't believe acting school was a very impressive career choice. They didn't release how good an actress Video was, as she was constantly out-performed by Clash. However, Video reminded herself, there was also the filming side to it all. As time went by she lost interest in filming altogether.

This showed and Clash didn't like the 'slacking' going into her productions. The scholarship film was, obviously, all Clash's idea. Clash had changed; she used to be a wonderful cousin, full of energy and herself! But now she seemed to have lost her passion, skiving school, staying up; all to write one 15 minute scene. It would be PERFECTION itself. Video worried about Clash's progress at their normal academic school but she tried not to worry.

The film was entitled "Passion" and was about a dancer - Shante (Clash) who had to overcome a harsh world with her alcoholic mother, and win first place in a dancing competition. Video noticed Clash vehemently avoided the concept of dance being a passion, but wrote about it not from the heart, but from a competitor's point of view. Video of course played the 'evil alcohol driven mother' – Seline. In the end Clash's creative side came through – Shante's dance accidentally pulled the light rigging down and her mother was tragically killed. 'Seline' found this plot laughable. However Clash stood by her script, and with such a complex story, she found her difficult to fit both the scenario and conclusion of the story, with the complex character development in one 15 minute segment.

Clash became highly irritable, arguing even with Uncle Buzz and her friends, whom of course argued back (well Buzz tried to the best of his ability). Video filmed these arguments and showed Clash how repulsive she was becoming. But Clash just wanted fame, so she continued working hard trying to get her film done. Video became frustrated with Clash's dependence on perfection; she was constantly told "move to the left", "no I didn't mean that far, can't you do anything write." Clash eventually half heartedly gave Video the script. This was so Video could shorten it down. Clash didn't like the fact Video crossed all her apparent 'favourite parts' all though this consisted of most everything.

Eventually the film was done and was sent off to the Academy. Video had lost all hope to be in the school, but a little part of her really wanted it, as a way forward. Clash had now temporarily died her hair bubblegum pink and green. This looked awful, but apparently it's what all the punks were doing. She started wearing a lot of leather, Video failed to understand where the money came from. She did terribly at school as well which wasn't going to help into the academy.

A month went by and one morning when Clash had stayed at Video's they began arguing over breakfast. Clash insisted that she didn't want to speak to Video's family anymore though she wanted to be friends with Video. This had occurred because she had constant arguments with them about getting 'hopes up too high.' But as she went into the porch, she heard the postman coming up the drive, and realised it was about time she had the letter. The post fell through and she scrabbled through it to find a letter addressed to Vivian Montgomery. She ran alone to her house to read her letter, which was clearly from the Academy as it had a special stamp of a cassette tape on the envelope. She ruffled through the post but there wasn't a letter for her. The phone rang causing her to jump.

'Hello?'

There was along pause as Video arrived at the open door of Clash's house panting for breath. She came in, sat on the stairs and listened intensively but she couldn't here the phone woman's face. Clash's face dropped and she looked harshly at innocent Video. Video gave a small gulp fearing the worst for her cousin. Clash slammed the phone down.

"Well, I got in," she said in a monsoonal voice. Video looked at her questioningly.

"But I didn't get a lot of money off in the scholarship 'cause I did badly in my exams at school. Oh well, daddy'll pay! Right?" video looked her blankly and as as she opened her mouth, she already regretted what she was going to say.


End file.
